My father, Gao Huan, is an invincible prince!

Chapter 56: I'd rather die than marry that ugly guy?

However, as soon as he finished speaking, Duan Shao, who had just entered the room, changed his expression.

He hesitated, then said, "Does the young master truly intend to attend the banquet? This must be a trap; shouldn't we reconsider before proceeding?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Yang disregarded his personal feelings and quickly said, "Brother, Cousin Tiefa is absolutely right. Those old villains have wolfish ambitions and we must be wary of them. It would be better to feign illness and not go, and then make further plans."

Upon hearing this, Gao Cheng sneered: "They have been colluding for a long time and have painstakingly planned this scheme. If we don't go, wouldn't all their efforts be in vain?"

"Furthermore, they set this trap merely to seize the opportunity to gather evidence of their crimes. Don't you want to see what tricks those old fogies, who are on their deathbeds, still have up their sleeves to disregard our Governor's Office?"

The two men were taken aback when Gao Cheng uttered these words.

Immediately, Duan Shao lowered his voice: "Does Your Highness mean that there is someone with ulterior motives within the Governor's Mansion?"

Gao Cheng shook his head: "Whether it's true or not, we'll know tomorrow..."

Upon hearing this, the two exchanged bewildered glances once more.

Seeing that Gao Cheng didn't intend to elaborate, the two didn't ask any further questions.

"Fine!"

After a moment, Duan Shao said thoughtfully, "Since the young master has already made a plan, we will obey."

Gao Cheng nodded and immediately waved his hand, saying, "In that case, let's go and prepare."

"only!"

Upon hearing this, the two men said no more and immediately accepted the order and left.

......

Meanwhile, on the streets of Ye City, two carriages were slowly moving.

Inside the first carriage, Li Xizong and Cui Kai sat side by side in silence, with only the dull thud of wheels rolling over the bluestone pavement.

The night breeze slipped in through the gaps in the carriage curtains, carrying the coolness of early summer, but it couldn't dispel the heavy thoughts in their hearts.

After a long pause, Cui Kaifang let out a long breath and broke the silence first: "This young master is truly extraordinary. He is not even twenty years old yet, but he possesses such shrewdness and methods. He is decisive in killing and ruthless, and he uses both kindness and severity. The downfall of the Zheng family was not without reason."

Upon hearing this, Li Xizong also sighed deeply, his tone complex as he said, "What's even more frightening is that after killing someone, he still expects us to applaud him. His cunning and ruthlessness are probably no less than those of Prince Gao. Ye City will never have a peaceful day again."

Upon hearing this, Cui Kai unconsciously recalled the scenes that had just unfolded in the Governor's Mansion.

Then, with a complex tone, he said, "This child will surely amount to something great in the future."

Upon hearing this, Li Xizong shook his head and corrected him, saying, "In fact, he has already achieved great things."

Cui Kai paused for a moment, then gave a wry smile.

Yes, a fifteen-year-old boy who could easily wipe out a branch of the Zheng family in Xingyang and then use official titles to bind the powerful families of Hebei to his own chariot.

It's pointless to talk about his "future".

He gave a wry smile for a moment, and could only sigh, "I only hope that they keep their word and don't turn on us after we've served our purpose. Otherwise, we'll be letting a wolf into our house, and it will be too late for regrets."

"It shouldn't be that bad."

Li Xizong slowly said, "Since they have promised us positions in the central government and are willing to form a marriage alliance, it is clear that they sincerely want to use powerful families to counterbalance the noble families of the Six Garrisons. Otherwise, given their nature, they could easily have killed you, me, and the Zheng family together to end it all."

Cui Kai remained silent, feeling that what was said made sense, yet something still felt off.

Unable to come up with a solution for the moment, he changed the subject: "So, do you really intend to marry off your daughter? With Gao Yang's looks and temperament, is he a good match? Zu'e is strong-willed and I'm afraid she would rather die than comply."

Upon hearing Gao Yang's name, Li Xizong's face immediately darkened.

He rubbed his temples, his face expressionless, and said, "What can I do if I don't marry? Since the young master has already spoken, how can I refuse?"

Upon hearing this, Cui Kai sighed again: "Fine, fine. I'll marry her if I want, it's better than turning against her."

Li Xizong's lips twitched, and he stopped talking.

The atmosphere quieted down, and as the carriage traveled a little further and was about to part ways, Cui Kai composed himself and said, "Let's get down to business. How should we assign these positions?"

Li Xizong pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "This matter is of great importance and cannot be decided by the two of us alone. We should first inform the elders of our clan, and then inform the Lu clan of Fanyang, the Wang clan of Taiyuan, the Cui clan of Boling, and the other families. We will wait for them to send envoys to Ye before making a decision together."

"Alright."

Cui Kai nodded, then asked, "Should we inform the Zheng family about this?"

Li Xizong thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "It's not necessary for now. The Zheng family's Lianshan branch has just been destroyed, and their main branch must hate the Gao family to the bone. If we go to search for them now, not only will we not find them, but we will also easily be implicated. It's not too late to make a plan after the situation has stabilized."

"rational."

Cui Kai responded with a nod and then said no more.

Before long, the carriage reached a fork in the road. The two men bowed to each other in farewell and went their separate ways home.

......

Upon returning to his residence, Li Xizong did not delay and immediately summoned the core members of his household to recount in detail what had happened at the Governor's Mansion that day.

When the people in the mansion heard that Li Xizong was going to marry the two sisters, Li Zuyi and Li Zue, to Gao Cheng and Gao Yang respectively, they immediately started to discuss it.

Some agreed, some disagreed, each holding their own opinion, and there was no consensus.

Only Li Zu'e turned deathly pale after hearing her father's words.

The reason was that a few days ago, Gao Yang came to the Li family and either threatened or bribed her. He had no manners whatsoever, which made her disgusted with him. In addition, Gao Yang's appearance was vulgar, which made her even more resentful.

But now, her father actually wants to marry her off to that vulgar man?

In an instant, despair welled up in her heart, and she abruptly stood up, asking in a trembling voice, "Father, you... intend to marry your daughter to that ugly man?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xizong frowned and said displeasedly, "What do you mean by 'ugly second son'? He is Gao Yang, the eldest son of the Gao family and the Duke of Taiyuan. It is your good fortune to marry him, how can you be so rude?"

"Good fortune?"

Upon hearing this, Li Zu'e burst into tears, her knees buckled, and she kowtowed to the ground, lamenting, "That man's face is as black as charcoal, his temper as fierce as fire. When he came to our door a few days ago, he was constantly cursing and swearing, utterly devoid of any humanity. How can I possibly be blessed to marry him?"

Li Xizong frowned and asked, "Then what do you intend to do?"

Li Zu'e knelt down and wept, saying, "I will never marry Gao Zijin, Father. You know perfectly well that he is no good match for me. I truly do not wish to marry him."

Li Zu'e was already stunningly beautiful, and now, with tears streaming down her face, she looked even more pitiful.

Everyone in the hall looked on with pity upon seeing this.

Li Xizong felt a pang of pity when he saw his youngest daughter, whom he had pampered for so many years, in such a miserable state.

However, the remains of the more than 300 members of the Zheng family's Lianshanfang family are still warm.

Even just to save face, he had to put on some show.

Therefore, no matter how much pity he felt, he had to put on a stern face and shout, "Nonsense! Marriage is a major event, decided by parents and arranged by matchmakers. This matter concerns the honor and disgrace of the entire Li family; how can you act so willfully?"

"I won't marry!"

Li Zu'e, unaware of the details, assumed that Li Xizong's mind was made up. She tearfully slammed her head against the ground, blood instantly seeping from her forehead, and resolutely declared, "If Father insists on forcing me, I...I would rather die!"

"Second Sister, you mustn't..."

Upon seeing this resolute act, everyone in the hall was immediately shocked and rushed forward to pull him away and comfort him.

Li Xizong's wife, Consort Cui, rushed forward and pulled Li Zu'e into her arms, crying out in anguish, "Second sister, my dear second sister, why did you have to do this? Why did you have to do this?"

Upon seeing this, Li Zuyi's eyes also filled with tears, her gaze still filled with inner struggle.

Li Xizong was completely taken aback by Li Zu'e's fierce spirit, and he almost couldn't help but confess his thoughts.

But just then, a resolute voice came from outside the door: "Father, please calm down. Since my sister is unwilling to marry, why don't we let her marry instead?"